How I’ve Seen France Change Over The Past 40 Trips

I first traveled to France when I was 19—on a trip with my parents. I didn’t plan it myself, but I soaked up every moment. We relied on paper maps, traveller’s cheques, and a travel agent to sort out the details. I carried francs in a money belt (as you did back then), and definitely no one had a smartphone in their pocket. I had a handy Kodak Instamatic 110 camera. It ONLY took photos.

That was nearly 47 years ago. Since then, I’ve returned to France 40 times—and in that time, the country has changed in ways both small and significant. Some of those changes have made travelling in France so much easier. Others caught me by surprise. And a few things? They haven’t changed a bit—and I’m glad they haven’t. 

How France Has Changed: 40 Trips in 47 Years

In this post, I’m sharing what I’ve seen shift over the years: some practical, some quirky, and some that still make me smile.

1. Dog Poop Isn’t The Hazard It Used To Be

I used to see dog poop on the sidewalks all the time. These days, most cities have clean-up laws and even bag dispensers.

2. Better Air In Restaurants

Back in the day, you’d eat your steak frites through a haze of Gauloises. Since 2008,  you can breathe—and taste your food because smoking was banned inside restaurants (as well as in nightclubs, stores, workplaces, and public transport ). You can smoke on outside terraces as long as they aren’t covered or enclosed. You’ll also see clients smoking their cigarettes on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. 

On July 1, 2025, France extended the smoking ban in public places where there children would be exposed (ie. parks, beaches, in front of schools).

3. Restaurants Might Offer You A Blanket when You’re Sitting Outside

In 2020, France banned the use of heaters on outdoor café terraces. I loved it but the move was to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. 

4. The Paris Metro Is Now Classless

From 1900 to 1991, the Paris Metro had two separate first and second-class cars (and fares), although you could board the first-class cars during peak hours. Today, no differentiation between cars exists.

5. Just A Tap On The Paris Metro

The floors, stairways, and entrances in the Metro used to be littered with paper tickets. in 2025 the move to contactless payment began. Paper tickets will only be accepted until December 31, 2025. You can’t even buy a “carnet” or booklet of 10 paper tickets anymore. 

6. Contactless Payments 

It was the norm to use Traveller’s Cheques and cash when visiting France. It likely wasn’t until the 1990s that the use of credit cards took off and today, one doesn’t even have to pull out a card. You can do a contactless payment with your smartphone or smartwatch.

7. Mobile Phones To Make Calls

Need to make a call? Just use your smartphone because it’s harder to find a pay phone in France. If you do find a phone, it won’t be coin-operated and will possibly only accepts credit cards.

8. Google Maps

Remember unfolding that large, unwieldy paper Michelin map? Now you can just get your route using Google Maps or Apple Maps. Paper maps are still sold and many are plasticized so no more ripped maps!

9. There’s A QR Code For That

Thanks to COVID, more restaurants were providing QR codes to access their menus. There are still many restaurants (especially the higher priced ones) who provide you with a paper menu.

Even when taking a tour of a museum, there is an app or QR code that can provide me with all the information I need. No longer is a pamphlet needed (although, to be honest, I like the hard copies).

10. Book Your Accommodation Or Restaurant Reservation On Your Phone

Thanks to the internet and apps (like The Fork), you can book anything and everything online, from hotel stays and museum tickets to dinner reservations. No more pressure to make a phone call requiring you to speak French.

11. Franc vs. Euro

On January 1, 2002, France ended the use of the franc and started using the Euro. Before then, it was always so easy to calculate the exchange rate: 4 francs = $1.00 Canadian. Granted, you might have a meal costing 240 francs, so that was a bit of a pain. I do prefer the € now….even though 1 € = $1.60 Canadian!

12. Taxis Plus Uber, Bolt, Rideshares

I prefer using taxis like G7 when I am in Paris, but now there’s much more choice with ride-sharing apps like Uber, Bolt, and FreeNow. 

13. Technology #1: Free Wifi

Gone are the days when you had to pay for Wifi or go to the hotel lobby to use their computer. Today, most places (hotels, stores, museums, and, etc) offer Wifi free….even the free navettes (shuttle buses) in Menton!

14. Technology #2: Video And Audio Calling Services To Stay In Touch

In the old days, I would make a phone call from the hotel room or phone booth to a loved one. Today, there’s FaceTime, Messenger, Zoom and many other video conferencing platforms to help you keep in touch.

15. Increased Security And Crowds (Ie. Eiffel Tower, Louvre)

Do you remember the open, clear space below the Eiffel Tower? It was a beautiful sight before the security barriers surrounded the iconic structure in Paris. With added security (with metal detectors) at all the monuments and museums, the line ups are longer and the crowds are bigger. No wonder the staff at the Louvre have gone on strike a few times. They’re just so tired of the overcrowding. 

16. Still See Back Packers, But No More “Paris on $20 a day”

Remember the books “Paris on $15 a day” in the 1970s? A whole series of guidebooks giving tips on only spending a small amount of money each day for food and lodging existed. Not surprisingly, every decade the amount went up. Today, the daily cost could possibly be about 250€. 

17. Walk across Pont du Gard

As I wrote in this post, 5 Activities At Pont du Gard You Can Do (And 1 You Can’t) in the early 1990s, I was able to walk across Pont du Gard, but they stopped that for safety reasons, of course! 

18. Mistral Train lunch

In 1978 my father booked the family on Le Mistral, an express SNCF train that took us from Paris to Avignon. It was named after the Mistral, the strong wind that lows from the north of France to the Mediterranean. Our journey was extra special because they had  a very upscale restaurant on the train. All I remember was the white linen service and my father not realizing that the dish he had eaten was just the first course. There were many more to follow. Sadly, this service and train was discontinued in 1982. 

19. More Casual Dress (Almost)

Wear whatever you want in Paris. You’ll look like a tourist no matter what. There’s less dressing up when dining. It’s more “smart casual”. Forget about the rules about not wearing shorts. Have you been in Paris in the summer? Try wearing jeans when the temperature has been 38° C and tell me you’re fine!!!  There is one exception about what you wear and this applies to religious institutions. Usually it’s no hats and no bare shoulders).

20. Less Need For A Travel Agent

In the early days I used a travel agent to book my flight, hotel, train, and car. Today, thanks to number of guides, apps, and the internet, I can do all the planning and bookings by myself. This is not to say I would never use a travel agent. If I were doing something really unique (ie. hiking Mont Blanc from hut to hut), I might use one to help me with the logistics.

21. Radar And Speeding Tickets Are More Common

I have been a recipient of a parking ticket and a few speeding tickets thanks to photo radar. Every year more are added, so getting a ticket is becoming more common. Many readers have contacted me to express their surprise that they were caught “on camera”. [Post: How To Deal With French Speeding Fines And Parking Tickets].

22. No More Locks On Pont des Arts

For years couples wanting to declare their love for one another would attach a lock to the railing on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris. However, in 2014, the weight of the millions of locks—roughly 45 tonnes—caused part of the railing to collapse. Concerned about further damage and safety, on June 1, 2015, the city of Paris began to remove the locks and replaced the railings with transparent glass panels in an effort to stop people from fastening more locks.

23. Plus ça change plus c’est la même

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Or, as the French say, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”

Things That Haven’t Changed

Here’s what still feels wonderfully familiar in France, trip after trip:

• still say “Bonjour”
• line ups at the Eiffel Tower and Louvre
• crowds to see the Mona Lisa
• McDonalds (aka “McDo”) in Paris—while the first McDonald’s in France opened in 1972, a franchisee, Raymond Dayan, had opened 14 restaurants in the greater Paris area by 1978. Today there are over 1500 McDonald’s restaurants throughout France.
• Strikes
• Baguettes are still sacred—and yes, people carry them under their arms; rip off the end (called a “quignon”) to eat.
  • And there was a scratch and sniff stamp honouring the baguette in 2024 and supposed to smell like a fresh baguette or bakery. Did it?  Just a bit. Only 600,000 were printed in the initial run just before the Paris Olympics, so it’s likely you won’t find one today.
• Lunch is still a drawn-out ritual, not a rushed errand
• Sunday closures are alive and well (plan ahead!)
• Bureaucracy is still…bureaucracy
• Still use adapters for Europe
• Banks are still closed on Mondays

Are there any things you could add to this list of how France has changed since you first visited? Please share!

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